Maine Outdoor Brands to Feature Emerging Maine Companies at June Industry Trade Shows

June 8, 2023

Growing Maine brands will have representation at two outdoor industry trade shows this month: Grassroots Connect’s Discovery Marketplace and Outdoor Retailer Summer Market i

Portland, Maine (June 8, 2023) /OUTDOOR SPORTSWIRE/ – Maine Outdoor Brands (MOB) will showcase growing Maine brands at two outdoor industry trade shows this month: Grassroots Connect’s Discovery Marketplace in Knoxville, Tennessee and Outdoor Retailer Summer Market in Salt Lake City, Utah.

MOB partners with the Maine Office of Outdoor Recreation to provide Maine outdoor entrepreneurs and startups the opportunity to meet with prospective buyers, partners, and media at leading industry trade shows. This will be the sixth year MOB has attended Outdoor Retailer and the second year for Grassroots Connect. Maine is one of the only states in the country to host a collaborative booth.

Discovery Marketplace takes place on June 11, 2023 in Knoxville and provides new and emerging brands the opportunity to get in front of retailers who are the best at taking risks on what’s new and interesting, experiential retail, assortment curation, and championing new brands. Brands attending with MOB:

• Arctic Lynx Maternity – Arctic Lynx makes high-performance activewear for pregnant and postpartum women because we value and support mothers and want to empower them to stay active and keep adventuring while pregnant and beyond.
• FLYN – We transform large format paintings, created by Flyn Costello into wearable art. This takes the form of hats, shirts, jackets, prints, cards, and stickers. Each item a little painting to share the fun, humor, and beauty of the animals we all love. Selected by you and sewn by us in our studio in Westbrook, Maine.
• Good To-Go – Creates the most delicious meals, made from clean ingredients, to be enjoyed wherever your adventures take you. Be it your backyard or the backcountry, simply add water and in minutes enjoy a healthy meal. Gluten-free and vegan options available. Proudly handcrafted in Kittery, Maine USA.

Outdoor Retailer – takes place June 19-21, 2023 in Salt Lake City and is the world’s leading business-to-business outdoor sports show where industry brands, retailers, reps, designers, suppliers and leaders gather. Brands attending with MOB include:

• Brant & Cochran – Heirloom quality axes forged in our South Portland, Maine shop. Hand-crafted using U.S. 1050 carbon steel hung on Amish-turned A+ quality hickory handles, our axes are made ready for use at camp, on the trail or around the home hearth.
• Flowfold – Recycled wallets, bags and dog gear handcrafted in our Maine workshop by local craftspeople. Offering minimalist designs, durable materials, and quality construction that you can count on for the long haul. Everything we make is covered by our legendary Lifetime Warranty. Also specializes in collaborations and custom products, from small to large volumes.
• FLYN – We transform large format paintings, created by Flyn Costello into wearable art. This takes the form of hats, shirts, jackets, prints, cards, and stickers. Each item is a little painting to share the fun, humor, and beauty of the animals we all love. Selected by you and sewn by us in our studio in Westbrook, Maine.
• Good To-Go – Creates the most delicious meals, made from clean ingredients, to be enjoyed wherever your adventures take you. Be it your backyard or the backcountry, simply add water and in minutes enjoy a healthy meal. Gluten-free and vegan options available. Proudly handcrafted in Kittery, Maine USA.
• Opolis – Opolis uses plant based and rPET plastic that is, or would end up in, the ocean as upcycled material for durable goods like sunglasses. 1 thrown out plastic bottle = 1 pair of Award Winning Opolis’ Frames. To date Opolis has removed over 300,000 water bottles from the ocean and counting.

Additionally, Good To-Go will be hosting a breakfast with Jetboil on Monday, June 19, and a happy hour at the MOB Booth on Tuesday, June 20. Additional Events Highlighting Maine companies include:

What Campers Want – Presentation featuring Maine’s Cairn Consulting

Kampgrounds of America and the Cairn Consulting Group (based in Bethel, Maine), with 85 years experience between them, will present an insider’s perspective on the wants and needs of today’s campers. Leveraging the newly released North American Camping and Outdoor Hospitality Report, Michael and Scott will dive into topics such as outdoor personas, recreation trends, the “off-season,” as well as barriers to camping, entry-level needs and outdoors accessibility by underserved communities.

Location: The Camp

When: Monday, June 19, 2023: 3:30 PM – 4:30 PM

Inspiration Award – Opolis

Opolis is a finalist for the 13th annual Outdoor Retailer Inspiration Awards. Presented to people, brands, and organizations, the awards recognize those dedicated to getting more people outside, supporting access, and improving the outdoor experience. This year’s recipients will be announced at the live awards ceremony on the second night of Outdoor Retailer Summer, Tuesday, June 20, 2023, in the Hyatt Regency in Salt Lake City, Utah.

About Maine Outdoor Brands

Maine Outdoor Brands continues to work to unite, grow, and give a voice to the state’s outdoor recreation industry, supporting knowledge sharing, collaborative marketing, and commerce efforts and access to professional resources. MOB is committed to seeing Maine-based products, services, and retail brands thrive, and today has over 150 member brands that are a part of the mission.